Jim Irsay likes Ed Reed as a two-way player, but Colts won’t sign him

In the fantasy world inhabited by Colts owner Jim Irsay, Ed Reed would be the perfect player for the Colts to pick up, not just as a safety but as a wide receiver and kick returner.

In the real world inhabited by Colts General Manager Ryan Grigson, that’s not going to happen.

Irsay, who’s been known to break big news on Twitter, teased his followers on Wednesday afternoon with a tweet that suggested that the Colts could acquire Reed and have him play wide receiver, safety and have some role as a kick returner.

But the Colts and every other team passed on Reed on waivers today, and according to multiple reporters, including Chris Mortensen of ESPN and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Colts have no interest in signing Reed in free agency.

There was a time when Reed was the best safety in the NFL, and a time when he was so dynamic with the ball in his hands that he really would have been able to contribute as a receiver or returner. (Reed is the NFL’s all-time career leader in interception return yards.) But at age 35, Reed doesn’t do much anymore. It’s no surprise that the people Irsay hires to make the football decisions are not interested in signing Reed.

I don’t think he was ever really asking, I think he’s just joking and trying to tarnish the image of a HOFer that is not his own and he’s looking to smear him while he’s an easy target. He probably figures that will make the credibility of his own players stand out that much more if they can avoid having this kind of an ugly end to their careers. So I think we should be calling this what it is by trying to understand his motivation and purpose behind the Tweet.

Pagano used to be Ed Reed’s defensive coordinator, but Bethea and Landry are definitely better players than Reed at this point in his career. Signing makes zero sense for the Colts at this juncture in time unless Bethea got hurt. A reunion with Rex Ryan seems more likely.